12 AAG Students Participate in Cultural Art Exchange With Ugandan Children

9/18/2018

Last year, 12 AAG students were given an opportunity to create art that reflects their lives in New York State in a cultural art exchange with JaJa's Kids, an orphanage in Uganda, Africa. On Friday, September 14, our students got to meet Ronnie, an employee of the orphanage, and discuss their differences and similarities with the Ugandan children.

Each student had an opportunity to describe what they drew and what they got out of the experience. Some drew special places in their homes, some drew the natural wonders of the state like the Adirondacks, and others depicted city life. One of the students divulged that she enjoyed getting to see not only what her classmates thought are the most important parts of New York State, but also what the children in Uganda expressed as the most important aspects of their city of Kampala. Many of our students explained that the experience was rewarding because they had the chance to learn about the culture from a Ugandan. They all agreed that the best part of the experience was seeing how much their drawings meant to the children at the orphanage.

Before leaving, Ronnie left us with a few words, “I would love to thank everyone here. It was a pleasure to meet you. The biggest thing I want to thank you for is sharing the love you have with the children back home. You have no idea how special it is to them.”

There will be another cultural art exchange this school-year. We can’t wait to see what the students come up with this time.